Various systems have been employed in docking space vehicles to each other or linking up artificial satellites, thereby permitting the delivery of items or personnel from one space vehicle to another. U.S. Pat. No. Re. 27,903 to C. P. Fogarty issued Jan. 29, 1974, discloses the utilization of a magnetic harpoon constituted by an extensible and retractable coupling member. A permanent magnet or an electromagnet is directionally propelled, outwardly of a space vehicle and towards a designated target area. It is connected to the probe space vehicle, bearing the same, by a flexible extensible cable or the like. By magnetic attraction coupling is achieved between the magnetic harpoons and the fixed magnet or target borne by the object being contacted. Retraction means permit the space or vehicle bearing the magnetic harpoon to be pulled towards the captured object bearing the magnetic target.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,508,723 to A. P. Warren et al issued Apr. 28, 1970, teaches a docking technique for spacecraft involving the utilization of telescoping cylinders, permitting projection and retraction of a mechanical probe from one spacecraft into the rocket engine nozzle of the other spacecraft and by expanding the device lateral securing of one spacecraft directly to the nozzle of the rocket engine of the other craft.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,372 to T. O. Paine issued Sept. 1, 1970, shows cooperation between a probe and a drogue assembly for mechanically linking two space vehicles. The probe is mounted to the end of one of the vehicles by way of a telescoping boom which is extended and retracted. The end of the boom carries a contact head having capture latches for engaging a cooperating drogue mechanism. The drogue is of funnel-shaped configuration, such that a conical probe head is guided towards the drogue apex until spring loaded capture latches engage and lock into a mating capture ledge borne by the drogue.
Such prior art is exemplary of known techniques in coupling and effecting alignment between two space vehicles. While attempts have been made to suppress or dampen the forces resulting from impact of the probe with respect to the contact vehicle, "bumping" accompanying contact and alignment has resulting in the disturbance with the electronic gear carried by the satellite. Additionally, certain of the prior designs tend to bounce away unless nearly perfect alignment is achieved. Also capture latches have been the source of docking problems, particularly in the Apollo project. The attitude control systems in many satellites will not tolerate "bumping" to the degree likely to occur with Apollo, EOTS, or RMS end effector designs. Certain of the probes, while being compliant to thereby permit connection or coupling between vehicles which are other than accurately aligned, cannot be subsequently rigidized after achieving "capture", nor are they adaptable for cooperation with more rigid locking members carried by the space vehicle attempting capture to insure upon accurate alignment, effected by the docking probe itself, multiple point rigid locking between the captive vehicle and the probe vehicle effecting the capture.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved shock absorbing, boom-type magnetic docking probe, permitting initial soft docking of a first space vehicle with a satellite or second space vehicle in orbit and, permitting upon capture, the rigidization of the boom and aligning of the probe vehicle with the captured vehicle in pitch, yaw and roll.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved magnetic soft docking probe for a space vehicle which eliminates any tendency of the captive vehicle to bounce away from the capture spacecraft and which permits by retraction of the flexible shock-absorbing boom, the satellite or captive spacecraft to be engaged in a hard-dock with the probe vehicle.